How Booth Would Propose
by givesup
Summary: A series of one shot's based on how I think Booth would propose. Angst, humor, romance... a bit of everything. Don't put me in a box.
1. Desperation

**A/N: I basically had a bunch of ideas floating around in my head and I wanted to get them out there. As much as I enjoy the thought of Brennan proposing to Booth (I'm lying to you, I would actually ****not**** enjoy that) I just can't see that happening. I think Booth would still want to be the one to propose. FYI – not all of these are going to be super emotional or heavy, there will be some lighter & maybe even fun ones, then again, this is MY definition of fun I'm referring to. I'm weird. **

**Tag for The Shot in the Dark, this continues immediately after the episode ends. **

* * *

_Be my friend  
Hold me, wrap me up  
Unfold me  
I am small  
I'm needy  
Warm me up  
And breathe me _

_Sia – Breathe Me_

**_Desperation_**

__

He unraveled every single time she touched him. Still. Just like that first night when she touched him with meaning, with unrestrained emotion and determination, it set him on fire and even now, a million touches later, she's still igniting him like he's experiencing her touch for the first time. He thought about all the years previous when they touched innocently, maybe not so innocently on his part, but with respect to their friendship, to their jobs, to that line. He always ached for more and every time his hand found the small of her back he wondered if she could feel that ever torturous and persistent ache transmitting through his fingers as he placed them against her in a subtle display of possession. Now _she_ touched _him_ and now because he knew her feelings for him and because he knew every detail of her body, where every freckle and mole was and because he knew how peaceful she looked when she was in the deepest of sleep just hours after making love, it set off a whole new wave of emotions inside him. Every single time. Still.

His body hovered above hers, subconsciously shielding her from any form of possible danger as his hands gripped each of the metal bed rails on either side of her. He could feel his suit jacket pulling against him uncomfortably as he leaned in closer to her. He felt her slender fingers slide up along his neck slowly and then explore further towards the back of his head and move through his hair to finally rest against his scalp. He was already kissing her but now he kissed her deeper and she moaned deep within her throat. He felt the sting of holding back tears as the thought of losing her once again barreled through his mind and ripped through his chest. He had been and was trying desperately even now to extinguish the relentless thought of wanting to end the man who was responsible for this very scene. Who almost destroyed his entire life. Who nearly stole the mother away from an innocent child, _his_ daughter. Could he kill for her? Absolutely. Where was the edge though? At what point would he teeter that line and tip into a part of him that would allow him to make no more rational decisions and _actually_ end the life that threatened the ones he loved the most. Could he live with that? Adding another name, another _human being_ to his list? Could he find a way to go on and live with the guilt? Would it be worth it…the consequences? Not just the obvious consequences. Not just the consequences of breaking the law. But could he handle the misery that came with waking up each and every fucking morning and going on? _Living?_

She must have felt his mental anguish manifest into some sort of physical distress because she slowly pulled away from his mouth and even so he kept his eyes closed and continued to just breathe her in, the actual smell of her, of Bones, fighting _his_ demons and pushing those horrid thoughts back into the far corners of his mind. He silently berated himself for allowing his thoughts to drift down that road again. He thought of Parker, he thought of Christine.

"Booth." Hearing her say his name sent another surge of gratitude pulsing through each cell of his body. _She's here. She's alive._ He found he had to keep repeating this to himself just to remain….somewhat calm inside. He let out a long breath through his nose and sucked in another shaky one almost immediately to try and steady himself. He refused to come apart again, not in front of her anyway.

"Can you open your eyes?" She asked him lovingly as she moved one of her hands across his cheek.

He did. He opened them and was greeted by beautiful blue lakes filled with love, filled with wonder and filled with worry. He hated himself a little bit for being the one to cause her to worry. He needed to be ok for her right now. He needed her to get better and get home. He needed her to be ok. He just needed _her_. He allowed his posture to ease and felt his shoulders slump as he let go of the tension that had quickly built up within a matter of minutes while thinking about the possibility of not having her in his life anymore. He gave her a gentle smile as he pushed up from the bed to get a better look at her. Her face was pale except for the dark circles that rimmed her beautiful eyes, her lips were chapped and her hair was back in a loose pony tail the ends of which were a little stringy. He grabbed a few strands of hair between his thumb and finger and slid them between his fingers gently, he repeated this action four or five times before he spoke.

"Do you have any idea how absolutely beautiful you are?" He asked, with a serious expression, still fingering her hair.

She let out a small laugh but his expression remained somber. "I do believe I am attractive, though given my current," she pauses and looks down at herself and then back up at him, "situation, I'm sure I'm not as physically appealing as I could be."

"No." He said sternly. Her eyes widened as his voice settled into the air around them. She was suddenly reminded of how deep his voice could actually get. He was rarely this serious. But when he was, she never questioned him. "No," he said again, this time a bit gentler, "you are always beautiful to me, ok?"

"And you're always beautiful to me." She responded, adjusting her tone to match his seriousness. He forced himself to smile in the moment and let go of the hanging strands against her shoulder to brush her loose strands of hair away from her forehead instead. She remained silent but he read everything through her eyes, whether or not she meant for it to be read.

He almost felt overwhelmed as he began to really process how important she was to him, how much of a necessity she was to his life. She's like a second mother to Parker, they had Christine, they were going to have more kids, they were going to spend their lives together, and he wanted to spend every day of his life _for her_. Giving her the family and love she never had and never experienced. He had so many more things to learn about her, that in its self would take an entire lifetime and then some and he needed _wanted_ all of that time to try. He had so many things that he wanted to show her, so many more levels of their relationship to explore. So many more times to make love to her like she was the most precious thing his eyes had ever seen, his skin had ever felt, his lips had ever tasted. There was just so much more. And he knew that she was willing, he knew she wanted those things with him, she wanted him to be the one to give them to her, to take her there. This was just as permanent for her as it was for him, he _knew _that. And right now all he wanted to do was get it through to her that he was _never_ leaving her. There was no way in hell he was going to let her go. Not by his doing and certainly not by anyone else's-he was sure of that.

His chest began to tighten and his heart started to race as words were pouring from his mouth before his brain even had a chance to catch up and process what he was saying.

"Bones, you know you are my whole life? You and Christine and Parker."

"You three are my life as well." She looked at him, slightly bewildered now, so he swallowed hard and hurried through his next words trying to explain himself better.

"When there was a possibility that I may not be able to see you or speak to you again, I lost it. Inside I was… I was contemplating so many things…" He shook his head and she tilted hers to the side and waited for him to elaborate.

"God only knows what I would do if anyone ever took you away from me…" His voice cracked with emotion, "I mean if it wasn't for Parker and Christine… God only knows what I would have done and-" He felt her hand on his suddenly and the shiver that traveled up his spine was enough to stop him from talking.

"Booth, I'm not gone. I'm no longer in danger of dying. It's ok now." She tried to comfort him. He leaned in and kissed her gently. "I know," he muttered between kisses, "I know."

She tried to deepen the kiss but he pulled away again, not quite finished with what he was saying.

"The thing is Bones, I want you here with me, forever. I never want to be apart from you, ever."

The lines on his face deepened as it was now him who worried. He knew how she felt about using the word forever when it came to their relationship and he knew that even though she wasn't rejecting the notion completely she still usually felt as though she needed to remind him how unwise it was to attempt to predict such things based on what could be temporary feelings whenever he said.

"I know that you know how I feel about the use of the word forever, Booth, but regardless of that I somehow feel comfortable believing that I will always have your love and you will always have mine."

He let out a held breath and leaned down to kiss her again, pressing his mouth against her hard, trying to somehow give back to her what she had just now given to him. She opened her mouth against his and his tongue slid inside. He grasped and licked and sucked every part of her mouth, her lips. He bit and nipped and then he would appease her with a soft stroke of his warm tongue. He inched closer to her on the bed, hoping that he would be able to somehow get more of her mouth. Wanting to taste all of her but not being able to satisfy this sudden hunger (would he ever?) , he moaned in frustration and pulled away quickly and looked down at her with a new intensity in his eyes. She looked at him as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Thank you for giving me a chance, giving us a chance." He huffed.

"Thank you for giving me another chance." She said, also slightly out of breath and he understood the meaning behind her words and it stung him.

"There were never any chances with you Bones, _never_."

Her eyes suddenly welled with tears as she took him in. His words hitting her in a place that was well tucked away and hidden so it was rarely struck but when that cord was plucked, and always by him, it always dazzled her how quickly she was left to scramble through a flood of emotions. Usually, she would end up speechless. He pressed his forehead against hers as her tears came down in a steady stream against her now flushed cheeks. He closed his eyes once more; gathering up courage he knew was there, somewhere. After she sniffed once he opened his mouth to speak.

"Marry me Bones." His voice quiet and strained but certain. He lifted his head from hers and repeated himself. "Marry me." He was still breathing hard, never catching his breath from the last kiss they shared. His chest heaved as though each word he spoke was equivalent to a mile ran.

"Booth…"

She seemed shocked but nowhere near as shocked as he thought she would be. He continued to stare at her, his eyes shining bright as he waited for her to say something, anything, besides his name. She pressed her head back against the pillows and Booth followed her every movement with his eyes, never taking his focus off her face. He didn't say anything though; he didn't want to rush her into responding. He remained still. After what seemed like forever and day crept by she opened her eyes again and regardless of whatever was about to come out of her mouth he knew he loved her, that he always would no matter what and no matter her decision he'd still be with her at the end of the day, they would still share the same home with their daughter, the same bed and that was already more than he could ever wish for.

"Yes, Booth."

His eye lashes fluttered and his eyebrows' furrowed and he even moved his body back a little as he tried desperately to determine if what he heard was in fact what he thought he heard.

"You'll marry me?" He was finally able to mutter, still in complete shock.

Maybe she said something, maybe she didn't. Maybe she nodded, maybe she didn't. He wasn't sure. She had just agreed to marry him. He felt as though he could be sick-literally vomit at this very moment so instead of listening to what she may have said he was instead lost in the waves of feeling that were washing over him. He cleared his throat in an attempt to somehow give strength to his voice that he knew would come out choked.

"You'll be my wife?" This time after he spoke, his eyes stayed intently on hers, waiting for a response. She simply nodded as the emotion within herself took hold of her own vocal chords making it nearly impossible to speak.

"Oh baby…" He said on a sigh. He moved closer to her and at the same time she tried to sit up on the bed. Helping her, he moved his left arm around to her back and placed his other hand against the back of her head and pressed her against himself, holding her gently. "Oh Bones…" He moved back some and looked into her eyes, his hands now placed on each of her shoulders. "We're going to get married?" He asked, still clearly in shock, his mouth hanging agape. His heart still pounding, he ignored the sound in his ears and the shaking in his hands while his eyes continued to search out her thoughts, her feelings.

"Yes, Booth. I love you more than I think _I_ even know and… I want us to be married." She closed her eyes again as her words sank into them both. She placed both of her hands on either side of his face and guided his head towards her own, her lips hovered over his.

"Make me your wife."

He felt himself immediately become numb, almost weightless. He had to actually look down at his feet to make sure they were still planted firmly on the ground beneath him. He pressed his hand to the back of her head again and managed to tangle his fingers into her lose pony tail bringing her closer even closer to him. "Ok…" he said holding back tears for the second time within only a few minutes. "Ok…" He whispered again finding her lips and kissing them softly at first and pulling away. "Ok." He repeated again. She closed the small distance between them, sucking his lower lip into her mouth as they both eased back down until she was lying flat against the bed again. Him taking taking hold of the bed rails again, covering her with his entire body.


	2. Realization

**This takes place sometime beyond season 8. Yorkey's Knob, Australia. I've never snorkeled before, and I hope that that fact isn't completely obvious in this chapter.**

**I don't own Bones.**

* * *

___**Realization**_

It had been somewhat of a struggle to get her here. But that's how it always was with her. A struggle. A struggle that he never tired of, maybe even secretly enjoyed. She pushed him, prodded and poked, needled and jabbed but he couldn't imagine his life without the constant back and forth, without her. In fact, he flat out _refused_ to imagine his life without her; it just wasn't going to happen.

The night brought relief from the heat, not much but some. Honestly, he didn't mind it. The warm air hugging them both as they lay on the large bed, limbs sprawled. He lay on his side facing her, and she lay on her stomach, her head turned away from him. There was a significant amount of space between them and his hand the only part of him touching her. He ran his fingertips over the lines of her back, following the contours of her body lazily. She was breathing easy, completely relaxed and every once in awhile she'd moan or sigh when he traced over a particular sensitive spot. She moved her leg over and hooked her foot around his leg.

"It's a little warm."

"Do you want me to turn the a/c on?"

"Mmm, maybe you could switch the fan on instead?"

Booth sat up in bed, and then stood on it, completely naked. His legs wobbled a little as he steadied himself before he reached up in the dark and fumble around for the short chain with the small gold ball on the end of it that he knew was there somewhere. Once he felt the thin piece of metal scrape against his fingers he grasped it tightly and yanked on it twice, setting the fan to a speed he knew she was most comfortable with. Once he was back and settled she turned from her side and faced him. She placed her hands under the side of her face so that her head was slightly propped. She pulled her legs up towards her chest like she always did when she was about to start a conversation in bed, and now her mouth was set into a firm line. He smiled a little.

"What's up, Bones?"

"Thank you for forcing me to come here."

The fan was blowing a gentle but steady breeze around their room now; making her hair move like it was dancing around her face, doing some kind of observance ritual dance in honor of her beauty. It must have tickled her because she suddenly scooped all of her hair in her hand and moved it to the other side of her neck where she could lay on it.

"I'd hate to feel like I forced you, Bones." He said, a little jokingly but a little serious too.

"I just meant, thank you for helping me to realize that this vacation was necessary. I am thoroughly enjoying myself."

He placed his hand or her arm gently, rubbing down to her elbow and then back up to where he started before giving her flesh a light squeeze.

"I am so happy that you're happy."

She moved into him then, snuggling into his chest and he wrapped his arm around her, tucking his fingers under the other side of her. Long moments passed and he was in that weird phase where you're still awake but you're also having these bizarre dreams where you suddenly find yourself falling and you twitch so hard you actually wake yourself up from the dream.

"Booth." She murmured sleepily.

"Yeah." He whispered back, tucking his hand in even more under her side.

"I wish we could stay like this forever." She mumbled.

The gravity of her words may have been lost on her in her sleepy state but they hit him like a brick to his chest. Of course she didn't mean literally. But, figuratively it meant so much to _him_, though it maybe meant nothing to her at all. By the time his mind stopped obsessing over her simple or maybe very complex confession he realized he hadn't responded to her and when he was about to he decided that maybe he should just let her fall asleep, finally. It was late and they had a lot planned for tomorrow.

"Booth." He heard barely as he was suddenly yanked back from drifting off into that weird dream phase again.

"Hmm." He muttered.

"I'm cold."

His eyes still closed, he pulled her closer. He moved his hand out from under her side and swept his large palm over her back, caressing her softly while he nuzzled his face into the side of her neck. He felt her lift her head a little bit in response giving him better access.

Her eyes were still closed as well; she was so very tired, but not tired enough to keep her from wanting him.

He opened his mouth against her neck so she could feel the hotness of his breath. He moved his lips against her skin grazing his chapped skin against her. His hand slid down her back and he moved it towards her thigh. He seemingly without effort lifted her leg and draped it over his waist. He felt her arm go around his back and she pulled them together even closer. Both of them on their sides, their fronts pressed together he slid into her and she sighed, long and hard. He opened his eyes then and kissed her lips. They stayed together without movement all except for their mouths and their heads as he kissed her deeply and without hurry like their night would last forever and the moon would become their sun.

She could feel him throbbing inside of her for awhile now and finally she moved against him, thrusting her hips into his, encouraging him. His mouth fell open and he let out a grunt. She did it again and again and again and soon he started meeting her with thrusts of her own. Eventually his movements became harder and more consistent and she stopped moving and just succumbed to his power, letting him do what he wanted to do. He twisted his fingers in her long brown hair and pulled hard as his last few thrusts had them both falling over the edge crying each other names; confessing adoration on her part and him promising devotion.

…

The day was cloudless, perfect, really. Perfection wasn't actually reality but she could dismiss that today. She could dismiss that for now because what her eyes were telling her as she swam just beneath the surface of the ocean was that the colors, the life, the peace, all separated from human life on land, was indeed perfect. Maybe she would have to study this some more. Maybe perfect wasn't defined the way it should be. Perhaps perfection and what could be was all up to each individual and less universal. Maybe if looked at on a smaller scale, perfect is real. The bright orange reef just under her stare seemed to nod in agreement with her as a school of saddleback butterfly fish swam by making it sway back and forth easily with the fish made current.

Booth tapped her arm and motioned that he was going up and she followed his lead. They penetrated the surface cascading water over their heads as they balanced themselves in four feet of water. He pulled his snorkel mask away from his eyes and let it sit against his forehead as she did the same. Breathing a little heavy they waited until each other caught their breath before speaking.

"Wow!" Booth laughed and gasped at the same time.

"Booth, this is so amazing! I could do this all day. I mean, even though I've snorkeled before this experience just feels so different. Better." She said, hoping that he could somehow make sense of what she was saying even if she couldn't.

He let out another laugh and wiped his hand over his face trying to clear any remnants of water.

"I could do anything with you all day, or much longer." He smiled sweetly at her.

She bobbed in the water, looking at him seriously for a moment.

"You ok?" He asked her. "You want to go back to the boat?" He looked over his shoulder to confirm that the boat was still there. It was.

"Yes, we can do that but I just…" She made a sound of frustration and took her eyes off of his for a moment as she tried to think of what she needed to say.

"It's just that everything that I've done in my life, all the places I've been… I wish to do it all over again so that I can experience them with you. I don't want to have any experiences without you." He could hear her voice crack and knew she was fighting back emotion and just the sight of her like this and her words triggered his own emotion to rally and he didn't want to fight it back. He moved closer to her.

"Bones, that's so sweet… I don't," he looked up at the sky silently trying to put his own thoughts together, "I don't want to ever be apart from you."

She looked a little relieved and that kind of crushed him.

"I love being here with you; I want to do more things like this. I want us to go places, do things, with Christine and Parker. I love you, I love our family. This is all that matters to me and I never want to experience anything without you either."

She was breathing harder now and he couldn't really understand what had gotten into her and he really didn't care to figure it out.

"You are perfect to me, Booth."

He cocked his head to the side not exactly sure what to say but trying to somehow find something that could follow such a statement.

"I don't know if I'm perfect Bones, but what I do know is that I will always do whatever I can for my family. My life is about you guys, and that's it."

She nodded and fell silent though the silence didn't last long before she was speaking again.

"You make me feel differently about things… you make me question things that I believed to be true. Concrete. Fact." She said in a low voice. The voice he knew meant she was on the verge of breaking down.

She stood up completely now and he wrapped his arms around her.

"God Bones, come here."

They hugged each other tight for a long while until she felt him pull her away from his chest. She looked into his eyes and she saw comfort. She saw his love, his protectiveness, his reassurance. She also saw a bit of terror and she felt his hands reach down between them and take hers into his. His were shaking.

"Let me promise you that you will never have to experience anything on your own again."

She looked confused, she wasn't sure where he was going but she trusted him so she kept her hands in his and he continued to drill straight into her eyes.

"In fact, let me promise you that you will never ever do anything on your own again, that you'll never actually be on your own again."

He was nearly panting now and she could fell a rush of warm air with each exhale of breath the came from his mouth and nose and she couldn't help but think how good it felt. She had gotten cold standing in the water and now he was here warming her, he was warming her and he didn't even realize it.

She must have gotten lost in the moment because she wasn't responding to him. She was staring past him, over his shoulder. "Bones." He said her name softly. "Let me…" He didn't know how it came to this. He didn't know why it came to this moment but he did know that it felt right. It felt like it was what he needed to do and he never went against his gut. Never. "Let me promise you." He swallowed hard and her eyes were back in his then.

"I will let you promise me." She said, tears beginning to prick at her eyes. "I will let you promise me." She said again, realizing the full meaning of what was actually happening right now.

He squeezed her hands tighter.

"So that means that you have to let me marry you." His voice so shaky it was nearly impossible to make out what he was saying. But she knew. She let her tears fall freely then, falling down her cheeks, falling off her face and into the water they were still standing in.

"You are a part of me Bones…" He choked, not sure exactly why he said that in that particular moment but he just did.

Sniffing and taking a long deep breath she moved a few strands of wet hair away from her face and looked him directly in the eye.

"You just proved my earlier point, Booth."

He didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. What was she saying?

"You cause me to think differently about….everything."

He knew then. He knew. He used the pad of his thumb to brush away her tears and leaned into her.

"Thank you." He said and it wasn't a simple thank you. The words were heavy. His voice was heavy. His eyes were heavy and when his mouth fell to hers it was also heavy. He kissed her with every bit of happiness that he felt in that moment, wanting it to last…forever.

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**I just really wanted to write something with him proposing while they were on vacation. Now I really want to go snorkeling. Pretty colors! **


	3. Unexpectedly

**A/N: A little inspiration I gathered from the finale promo, I suppose.**

**This one wasn't supposed to go this way. I had ****completely**** different intentions but as I was writing it, the tone kept coming back to this. The story kept veering off to this. So, this is what it is. I hope you like it. **

**Set some time during season 8. **

**P.S. Please don't hate me ;)**

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_So close no matter how far  
Couldn't be much more from the heart  
Forever trust in who we are  
And nothing else matters_

Metallica – Nothing Else Matters

**_Unexpectedly_**

The day had worn me down both physically and mentally. Saying I was exhausted would have been more than an understatement. After I put Christine down for the night I sat on the far end of the couch with my book _Sex and Repression in Savage Society._ After bending it a few times to keep the pages from flipping on me I settle a little deeper into the couch, ready to tackle the next chapter. As I'm about to begin reading I hear a faint whimper carry down the stairs and into the living room. I lift my eyes from my book and listen carefully wondering if Christine has decided she wants to play her favorite game tonight. After a few moments pass of me keeping my gaze fixed around the corner, ready to leap I ease back into the couch. Thankfully, it seems as though it was a false alarm and all is quiet again. Just as I return to my page I hear a loud _clink_ that echoes through the halls, down the stairs and into my space. _Booth removing his watch and throwing it onto the dresser._ I sigh loud and hope he remembers that Christine was just put down and I hope even more that he tries a little _harder_ to be quiet. _Thud_ and about six seconds later another _thud_, even louder than the first. _His shoes. _I throw my head back into the cushion and roll my eyes with all the exaggeration I can muster. I stay just like that, even when I hear him shuffling down the stairs. He strolls into the living room, and I keep my look of annoyance plastered to my face and hope he notices. His shoes are off (that was established); his socks are off, he still has his pants and dress shirt on, though, he did remove his tie and the first few buttons of his shirt are undone and it's un-tucked from his pants. He pads over to the liquor cabinet and pulls out a glass and a bottle. He pulls open the lid and it makes that all familiar air sucking popping sound.

"What are you reading over there?" He asks, pouring himself a glass of scotch.

"You're _really_ interested?" I say, finally letting my look of annoyance go only to let it seep through my tone instead.

He stills his eyes squinting to the tiniest little slits as he looks me over; he realizes something as he leans down into the cabinet and pulls out another glass.

"Is my Bones a little cranky this evening?" He asks, no longer staring me down. He pours a separate glass of scotch and walks towards the sitting area where I am and sits on the floor against the chair directly across from me. One leg straightened out against the carpet and one leg pulled up to prop his hand and the glass that it's holding against his knee. He hands me the other glass, leaning forward as much as he can to pass it to me. I accept the peace offering and take the glass from him without saying a word. I watch him just long enough to see him take a sip of his drink, his eyes staring me down (again) over the top of his glass. I go back to my page and read the first line of the chapter, again. Some time passes and I manage to make it about half way down the page before I hear his voice, again.

"Well aren't you going to drink that?" I bring my eyes up from my book and into his smirking face.

"Yes, Booth, I am." I grab the glass and take two huge gulps and swallow. I wince and hold my breath while I set the glass back down on the side table next to me. Though I try to fight it, I lose the battle and I cough. A lot. My eyes burn and they begin to water and when I finally take a few breaths of air after the whole ordeal I can hear him laughing. I just stare at him, not giving him the satisfaction of actually saying anything. He takes another sip of his drink and leans his head back on the seat of the recliner behind him.

"Truth or dare?"

"No, Booth." I say very seriously without looking up from my book.

He uses the floor to aid in cracking his toes. _Disgusting_

"Ok so… I'll go first," He says ignoring my previous statement, "truth."

After a moment of contemplating I flip my book closed and place it on the table next to my almost empty glass of scotch. "Fine." I say, completely annoyed and crossing my arms against my chest. I stare him down with what I believe to be most intimidating look.

"Is it true, _Booth_, that you know it drives me absolutely insane when you crack your knuckles, but you continue to do it anyway?"

"It is true that I know it drives you crazy, but I don't do it to purposely annoy you." He takes another sip, draining the glass completely. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." I say confidently.

"Is it true that you are completely…. _madly_…. and _deeply_ in love with me?"

"Booth…" I say on a sigh, forcing myself not to smile. He smiles at me anyway. He sets his glass down on the floor next to the chair and then rises to his knees. He crawls over to me and lays his head in my lap.

My hands move instinctively to his head and I push my fingers through his dark brown hair, it's thick and tries to resist my massage. "I'm sorry you had a rough day and I love you." He mumbles against my lap. My heart skips and I melt into the warmth of his words unable to resist his pull. "I love you too. Madly. Deeply." He moves his head from my lap and sits up on his knees completely and inches his way further between my legs. His arms come around my waist and I move closer towards the end of the couch. He moves a finger up and slips it under the collar of my t shirt and pulls it down just a little and moves his mouth to the exposed skin. He places just one wet kiss there before he moves his head back slowly, looking up into my eyes.

"What happens when the day comes that you get tired of me?"

His question catches me off guard and I'm not exactly sure how he means or how I should respond. After searching his face for a moment I decide to just go with answering honestly, the first words that come to my mind.

"You _already_ tire me, Booth. Are you asking if one day that will be enough to make me leave you?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm asking."

"Are you joking?" I ask, leaning back from him so I can see his face better, try to understand him better.

"Would you marry me?" And I'm suddenly catapulted into realizing that he isn't actually joking. Booth is being very serious right now. How can someone do that so quickly? Go from joking to being completely serious within a matter of seconds.

"I would Booth…" I continue down the path of honesty. First words thought. First words out.

"Will you marry me?" He follows quickly not even giving me a chance to finish my sentence. His brown eyes sparkle expectantly and it's too much. This is just happening too fast.

My throat is dry as sand and so even though I want to say something to him, I cannot. I open my mouth and…nothing. I decide that I need to remove myself from the situation…that would be best. I move away from him, pushing him back a little as I get up from the couch and head towards the kitchen as fast as my legs will carry me. My heart is racing and fluttering in my throat demanding I release it from its confines. _This. This is how it happens? Now. Why now?_ I stand against the counter of the island in the 's behind me but he doesn't touch me. I can smell him. I can feel him. "Bones…" I can hear him. His voice rattles around me causing my anxiety to heighten some but yet it comforts me all at the same time.

I continue to stand facing the counter and he talks to my back.

"Listen Bones, I'm so sorry… I don't- that's not the way this should go…" He places one tentative hand on my shoulder gently, but doesn't force me to turn around. "I'm so sorry… please..." He whispers into the back of my neck, his breath hot and just as comforting as his actual voice. Once my heart beat slows and stops thundering around inside me I finally turn to him. He looks tortured. I swallow away the fear in my throat and stand my ground, my eyes fixed on his. I knew I would need to face this one day. "It's ok, Booth." I reassure him, just wanting to take that pained look away from his face. I bring my hand up and cup his jaw. "I'm so sorry Bones." He moves his cheek against my hand, furthering the physical contact between us. "I'm such an idiot…"

"Shhh, you're not." I brush my lips against his. "You're not an idiot." I open my mouth. I kiss him harder. His arms encircle me and lift me onto one of the chairs in front of the counter. "I am," He mutters between kisses, "I'm so sorry." He says again while pushing his hands under my shirt. He's returning my passion kissing me like he wants to swallow my mouth. Pushing his hand under my shirt like everything he loves is just underneath of that cloth. I start on the buttons of his shirt. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you." I say, as I open the last of the buttons on his shirt. I squeeze his torso that is currently between my legs with my thighs and he pushes himself between me even further, somehow. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you too." He says, his voice weak with a mix of several different emotions.


	4. A New Life

**A/N: Of course…Brennan proposed. And that's all I have to say about that! Hmpf! *crosses arms against chest like a stubborn toddler***

**Now I understand how nice and happy and calm everything was during the barn scene in season 7 so if this in anyway contradicts that then… I did it on purpose. Also I'm not a doctor but I am the eldest of 5 sooo... I've seen a lot. Plus I watch a lot of movies. This can be set any time in the future. **

**Thanks for the reviews and follows and favorites. Hope you like this one. If not, it's ok… I like it. **

* * *

**_A New Life_**

I hear that high pitch squeaking noise as the handle in the shower is being turned and sound of the water from the shower stops. The irritating noise not only signaling she's done with her shower but it also serves as a reminder that I need clean the rust forming around it if I ever want to not hear that sound again. After another moment I hear her swiftly pull the curtain back. Metal scraping against metal. It goes quiet then and after awhile it begins to unnerve me so I have to ask.

"Everything ok in there Bones?" I lean forward on the bed, the heels of my hands pressed into the mattress on either side of me and my feet pressing into the carpet below waiting to spring into action if need be.

The air is always thick and nearly un-breathable for those few seconds of silence when I'm never completely sure, so I just hold my breath and wait.

Something falls to the floor, her hair brush maybe. I think I hear her curse but I'm not sure because her voice is so muffled behind the closed door.

"Yes, I'm fine." She calls back. I ease back down into the mattress. I won't actually lie down until she's finally curled up next me and I can wrap my arms around her and know for certain that she's safe. As I'm sitting on the edge of the bed I stare down at the large black duffle bag sitting against the wall on the floor next to the door. I used to use that duffle bag for hockey. Now Bones is using it. We're using it as a hospital bag. I shudder as a wave of something passes through me. With Christine things happened so quickly and I wanted to make sure we were prepared this time. No barns. No wild, squat style birthing stuff. I made Bones agree to stay home when it got closer to D day. No lab. No cases. She agreed as long as _I_ agreed that she could have a water birth.

It's better than a barn.

I just don't want to take any more chances. It could happen _any_ time now and _this_ time we will be ready. When it happens I'll just grab my old hockey bag and we can go, prepared. I stop my leg from jumping up and down nervously when I hear the door open.

Our room is dark but the light from the bathroom is on and she looks almost angelic as she emerges from the bathroom, the steam from the hot water a smokey background as she moves out from the door way and into our bedroom. She's wearing one of the night gowns we bought just a few weeks ago at the maternity store. It's silk and nearly see through and it's clinging to her still damp body. Her hair is hanging wet over her shoulders and she smiles at me as she makes her way towards me and the bed.

I'm not even sure if I smile back at her. I know that I want to but I feel frozen. I feel temporarily immobilized because she has me completely under her spell at the moment. I turn my body and my eyes follow her every step until she stops at her side of the bed. I can't help but wonder what I did to get here, to deserve this. I mean I must have lucked up and did something to _really_ please God because this…her…us…our family… the happiness I feel is so overwhelming sometimes I just want to cry. Like a huge freakin' baby.

"You can lie down now, Booth." She says as she climbs onto the bed moving the cover and sheets down and then back up over her long, pale, slightly swollen legs.

I continue to watch her, my mouth probably hanging open like an idiot; I mimic her actions and slip underneath the sheets myself. She snuggles her backside up against my groin and my hand comes around her side and I lay it just under her swollen belly.

…

The water is warm, _really_ warm, on my hand and I wonder if maybe it's too hot for Bones or if it will be too hot for our baby when he finally comes out. I don't have much time to think about that though because she's suddenly grabbing for me again. Her left hand clamping down on my forearm and she's squeezing hard, her nails digging into my skin like she's trying to actually get to my bones. I want to check for blood but I think it's better _safer_ to just keep my eyes on her instead. I try to sidle up closer to the tub as best as I can as I kneel next to her on a mat that the midwife provided for me. My t-shirt is half soaked and I think about maybe taking it off but-

"_Mhmmmmmaaaahhh!" _She screams and throws her head back as her eyes snap shut. 

"Breathe baby…just breathe. I'm right here." I say as calmly as possible. I wipe her forehead with a sponge, hoping that that could relax her, even if just a little bit. I immerse the sponge in the water again, ring it out and wipe.

"It hurts… it hurts Booth… please… make it stop." She whines, almost incoherently. But I understand her and it is breaking my heart that I do. I hate seeing her in pain even if the reason is because she's giving birth to _my_ child.

"You can do this, ok? You're strong. I know you and I know you can do this."

She whimpers and I swear if she starts crying I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. "Shhhhh…" I place my right hand against her upper back rubbing large circular patterns into her skin. The midwife is on other side of the tub and when I look up I notice her looking back at me.

"You ok?" She mouths to me. I nod and then my eyes are back on Bones.

Now she _is_ crying. "I'm not Booth. I'm not like you. I'm not strong... I ca- _oooooooooh!" _She yells. After she catches her breath she continues,"I can't do it… I can't…"

"You can!" I say firmly. "You are stronger than I'll ever be, understand?"

She takes a few deep breaths and pushes with all her might, her face, her neck, her shoulders and her chest turning a deep shade of pink. I hear the midwife somewhere in the far distance counting and I'm holding my own breath while she does. When I hear ten I exhale, right along with Bones.

"Good, good…" I encourage her. My hands are then quickly at the ends of my shirt and I'm pulling it off. I throw it to the floor somewhere behind me.

"You've done this before. You can do it again. Push baby, push for me." I submerge my left arm in the water and she puts her foot into my hand. She bears down and presses with all of her might into my hand, and I squeeze her foot while the midwife beings to count to ten again.

"You are so strong baby. You've been strong for me too, you know that? You get me through each and every day." And she does. I feel so weak without her sometimes it's truly pathetic. I depend on her so much. I _need_ her. Always.

As she leans her head back again against the towel with her eyes closed she lets go of my arm and she places her hand on my chest now. She moves her hand up, searching and feeling, moving it up and up until she gets to the side of my face. She keeps her hand there for a moment and then moves it to the back of my head and that's when she opens her eyes. She's opens them to me. Her eyes are so blue and so teary. "I love you Booth." She cries. My chest tightens and I have to remember that air is what keeps me alive. Of course she's told me she loves me before but there's something about this scene. Having this woman's love, having her declare it while she's giving birth to our child… it just… it's too much…

I start to sponge her forehead again. "Shhh… shhh…" I shush her quietly. And maybe I'm consoling myself more than I'm consoling her. "I love you too." I say quickly.

She grunts as another contraction hits and she starts to push again, whether she was ready to or not, whether I was ready or not. The midwife starts to count and over her counting I talk, because I need to. I just _need_ to.

"You've been everything to me. God… I can't…" My emotions begin to get the best of me and I choke up a little bit. "You're giving me another child. A son. I'm… I'm so grateful." The words though, when they leave my lips they don't seem like enough. They'll never be enough.

In the distance, "eight…nine…ten…" and then a few seconds to breathe. She gasps and swallows another mouth full of air before bearing down again.

"Push!" I yell.

"One…two…three…four…." She presses her chin against her chest.

"C'mon baby…. C'mon…"

_"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" _she yellsas the last seconds of pushing pass by and she relaxes again.

She smiles and her head falls back against the towel. "You've…" She pants and winces as what I assume another stab of pain shoots through her, "you've given me a daughter and a son, Booth. You've been by my side from day one. You never left. You've never abandoned me in any way shape or form."

"And I never will, I _promise_ you." I look into her eyes for a moment, willing her to see the seriousness I'm trying to communicate to her. And she does, she sees it. She believes it.

"His shoulders are out." The midwife says as she rolls the pediatric scale and treatment table over along with the towels and other supplies. "One more push should do it. You ready dad?" I nod and blink almost in a daze.

_"Unnnnnnntttthhhhhh!"_

Her foot pushes against my hand again. She's pushing so hard she's shaking and my heart skips a beat and I wonder if she is ok. I look over at the nurse but she's calm, she doesn't seem to be worried, so I swallow hard and concentrate on Bones.

"Is he here? Is he here Booth?" She asks and it's the sweetest thing.

"One more big push, c'mon!" The midwife says enthusiastically.

She pushes down one more time and all the noise stops. The only sound the ringing in my ears that happens when the quiet is so quiet that it's actually loud. The midwife puts her arms in the water and I look into my girlfriends eyes. She's still pushing hard. I'm still looking at her and then there's talking. I'm talking and I only know it's me after the words are already out there between us.

"I want to marry you."

When her face finally goes back to its normal color and her head slumps forward against her chest it's then when suddenly my hearing is back and it's a rush. The midwife is bringing my son up from the water and placing him on the table.

"Bones… Bones…" I wipe her hair away from her face. She looks up at me. She looks more than exhausted but still so damn beautiful it's nearly painful.

"I'll marry you Booth. Whenever you want, I'll marry you." She rasps out of breath.

I let out something that's a mix between a laugh and a cry. It sounds like a laugh but there are tears. The midwife turns back to us and places our son against Bones' chest. "Your son is a healthy eight pounds and 9 ounces, twenty three inches long… congratulations." Bones' smile widens as she looks down on him and cradles him against her chest.

I move in as close to them as possible and look into my sons eyes for the first time. "Hi Dillon, it's your dad." I move one trembling pointer finger to his tiny little hand and he _actually_ grabs it, pretty damn tight. "Wow…this is our son…"

"Yes Booth," she says, "yes he is."

* * *

**What do you think? Realistic? Corny? Too fluffy? Let me know please :)**


	5. Hypothetically Speaking

**A/N: Assume 6x09 never happened. This is well after Hannah but Brennan never confessed anything to Booth during that time.**

* * *

_**Hypothetically Speaking**_

He picks at the few spinach leaves that remain on his plate. Brennan looks up from her own dinner plate and eyes him before placing her food topped fork delicately into her mouth. After a moment of chewing and finally swallowing she thanks him. "Thank you for coming here with me, even though you hate it." She said, his eyes shot up at her and he couldn't suppress a smile.

"Bones, I'd go anywhere and eat anything with you if you really wanted me too."

The restaurant had just opened last month and she had been practically begging nearly daily for him to try it out with her. At first he worked hard at pretending that it would be a chore for him to go to such an uptight place and he tried to make an issue about it but in the end he was more than happy to pick her up on this night and take her where ever she wanted. No work clothes tonight. No black suite and Vans, no Jeffersonian issued lab coat. She wore a pretty purple skirt that flowed with the warm night air away from her body and a simple black top that hugged her perfectly. He wore black pants, not slacks but not jeans either and a long sleeve dark grey button-up. She takes a long sip of her wine while he wipes his mouth with the large, cloth napkin.

As she was getting ready to comment on how nice he looks tonight she was silenced by a collective gasp that filled the small, dimly lit room. Both she and Booth turned their heads at the same time trying to quickly indentify the object of everyone's attention.

A young man and woman seated two tables over from them are the ones that have everyone's attention. The young lady has her hands clasped over her mouth as the man slowly pulls a small black box from the pocket of his suit jacket. Booth looks on admiring the scene for a moment. He hears the man's voice as he speaks but can't hear exactly what he is saying. He chuckles to himself and turns his attention back to the woman across from him who was already back to finishing up her food.

"Pretty nice, huh Bones?" He pokes again at the leaves on his plate.

"What, that couple?" She asks seriously.

"Yeah, I mean, the proposal. It was sweet."

"I suppose so." She purses her lips together and her little upturned nose scrunches in that adorable way that makes his heart ache with a pleasant type of pain. "Though, I never really understood why women seem to always get so beside themselves during a proposal."

He resists choking on his food and with a hard swallow and a sip of his beer looks at her hard and after a minute she raises her eyes to meet his suddenly completely aware of his gaze.

"It's a special moment Bones. It's….emotional." He tries to explain.

"I don't understand what's so emotional about one person asking another person, a person they've already established a romantic relationship with, to come upon an agreement to simply put their relationship on paper with the state. With an overpriced piece of jewelry."

He shakes his head and sighs deeply fixing his plate and putting his unused utensils neatly next to each other on the side of his plate.

"Right Bones."

And she sees it. She affected him negatively with her words and his reaction made her regret saying anything at all.

"Booth I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you – I was just-"

"Hey," his eyes glimmer with a hint of sadness but he manages to smile at her anyway, "it's ok. I know what you were saying." He says softly. She nods once and lets her eyes fall from his with hesitance.

He goes back to watching the couple seated two seats across from them. They are standing up now and embracing each other. He guy is laughing that I can't believe this is happening laugh and she's wiping tears of joy from her face. People around them are also smiling, some even crying themselves at this display of early love and promise. Some younger people look at them with hope on their faces; hope to one day feel that very same feeling that they are witnessing and some older people look on silently saying a prayer for the couple that they'll make it through the difficulties and _really_ be together forever. Booth continues to stare not sure what to think anymore. Two failed proposals under his belt and a woman he loved more than anything who didn't even believe in marriage, let alone the fact he wasn't even in a romantic relationship with her.

"Well," he says suddenly. "You ready to get out of here?"

As they start to pull up to her place she notices him looking around trying to find a place to park. She speaks up for the first time since their journey back began. "Booth you don't have to park, you can just drop me off. It's fine." He seemed to ignore her while still scanning the street and finally finding an open spot. She stays quiet as he backs into the spot, parks and turns the engine off. She lets her head fall back against the headrest as she continues to look straight ahead. "I thought you might be upset with me."

He turns looking at her with confusion clearly written all over his expression. "What? Why would you think that Bones?"

"Because of what I said about marriage."

He sighs and sinks back into his seat and mimicks Brennan by resting his head against the headrest and looking straight ahead through the window but not really looking at anything in particular.

"Bones, it takes a hell of a lot for me to get upset with you."

She says nothing.

"I'm not upset with you."

"You were."

Exasperated he sighs again. "Bones?"

"Yes?"

"Let me walk you upstairs."

She pulls on the handle and gets out of the truck with a little hop to the ground. Booth waits a minute before getting out himself, digging deep to find a way to keep his feelings and opinions from ruining their night. With a sudden burst of energy he quickly gets out of the truck and meets her on the sidewalk. He smiles at her reassuringly and sticks his arm out gesturing towards the apartment building. She walks slowly as he trails behind.

She closes the door behind them quietly and removes her jacket immediately placing it on a hook on the wall. Booth wasn't wearing a jacket so he walks by her and heads straight for her kitchen.

"Booooth." She whines after him. When she enters the kitchen she sees him leaning up against the counter twisting the top off of a Sam Adams. He takes a healthy swig and tosses the cap into the trashcan.

"Booth." She says again.

"Yes?"

"I'm tired." She tells him as she starts pulling her hair out from the up-do she had carefully bobby pinned back at the start of the night. Booth just looks at her, transfixed as her hair falls in waves around her shoulders. She places the pins on the small kitchen island in the center of the room and then leans against it.

"Me too." He says before bringing the bottle to his lips again.

She looks at him incredulously for a long moment and he doesn't budge. "Ok well, I'm going to go change into my pajamas." She started to walk away. "I hope you mind." She shouts over her shoulder.

"I don't." He yells back.

When she returns from her bedroom and turns the corner towards her kitchen she finds it empty. She outs the light pads towards the living room to find him sitting, rather comfortably, on her sofa. Both his arms are lying across the top of the couch and his long legs are stretched out in front of him. She walks over towards the couch and sits down, not so close that they are touching but close enough that she can smell him easily.

"You know Bones...when the right person proposes to you I guarantee that you'll react with emotion."

She scoffs. "Booth, I would _never_ put myself in a position to be proposed to to begin with."

His head jerked back suddenly and hurt took over his features; he didn't even try to hide it this time.

"I meant that, I don't think I'd ever be in a serious enough relationship that a man would ask for me to marry him." She adds in a softer tone.

He sits up and then stands up. A little panicked Brennan stands up too. "Booth wait, where-"

"I'm getting another beer Bones. Want one?"

Her face relaxes and she feels nearly embarrassed by her reaction. "No…no… thanks." She follows him into the kitchen anyway, not sure why she couldn't just sit and wait for him to come back. He was walking faster than usual his strides filled with….anger?

"Booth." She calls his name with a bit of desperation.

He doesn't respond though. He simply opens the fridge and bends down to grab another beer. After retrieving it and slamming the door closed he still stays turned away from her while he opening the bottle.

"Look at me." She demands.

And he does; not because of her words but because the emotion behind them and when he looks at her she can see the same from her words displayed in his eyes. He sets the beer down on the counter a little too calmly and gently for the situation. He takes a few steps towards her and she takes a few steps back until her back touches the island. Her heart is out of control at this point; she never felt so anxious with anticipation but so scared to death as to what was coming next. He lowers his face towards her and get close, so close that his mouth touches her face just below her lower lip and she nearly jumps at the contact.

"He's going to take you somewhere a place that ties you and him together in such a profound way that before he even proposes you'll be overwhelmed that he remembered such a place, that he brought you back to memory…a moment…that was so _so_ important to you."

She blinks up at him unable to say anything.

"He'll be nervous because he'll _know _you and he'll know that making you his wife is the one miracle he needs to see become a reality and he'll know how you feel about marriage and he'll know that he has a long fucking shot."

She looks away from him briefly turning her head to the side but his eyes follow her and they only gain in intensity as they burn into her.

His voice lowers to nearly a whisper. "He'll go on telling you how beautiful you are, how much he adores you and how important you are to him, but his words, they'll be just words. What will really give it away is the piercing admiration that you feel as he's looking at you, you'll be able to feel it in his touch like you always did when he puts his hand on your back," He moves his arm around her waist and places his hand on the small of her back, "right here." He whispers.

"You're body will explode with something, something only you can _feel_ and not describe when you feel him against you."

Instead of stopping the madness she only encourages him by arching her back, closing her eyes and tilting her head back. His throat goes dry at the sight of her and for a moment he truly believes he may not be able to go on talking at all. But he wills himself to. "And he'll thank you for putting up with him all these years, he'll thank you for saving him….saving him from himself. He'll explain that he wants the entire world to know that you are his and that he is yours and that he wants to be able to do that in every way possible including making it official and including," he swallows hard, his voice barely a rasp now, "including putting a symbol of his love on your finger. A promise in physical form. Something you can see so when he's not physically next to you…you can look at it and know that where ever he is, whatever he's doing he's pining for you."

He moves his hand up her back slowly and brings his lips down towards her neck. He doesn't put his lips there but when he speaks against her sensitive skin on her throat it has the same effect. "Pining for you like he always has. Because you've always had him."

His breath is hot against her neck and now she actually moans.

"Always." He says again and this time he presses his warm damp lips against her collar bone and she moans again, her head rolling and her eyes still closed. He brings his head back up and she nearly cries at the loss of contact.

"Look at me." He demands.

It takes her awhile but she does and when he finally sees the blue of her eyes he continues. "And when he finally gets down on his knee, and he will, because he such a traditionalist," He smiles a little lightening the intensity around them and she smiles back. "He'll look at you, completely open, everything he is will be right there for you and he'll want to give it to you to keep, forever. He'll ask you, Bones," and suddenly the seriousness is back in his voice, in his eyes, all over his handsome face, "he'll ask you to marry him and he won't be able to stop the cracking of his voice, or the tears in his eyes and he won't care because you've seen him at his most vulnerable before and he trusts you completely, just like you trust him completely." He sees her eyes begin to water with unshed tears and he moves his hand up to cup her cheek and uses his thumb to rub her chin lightly. "And you'll try to keep your emotions in check. You'll try to keep those tears from falling." He uses his hand that's already against her face to tilt her head up a bit his other arm still firmly in place on her back. He places his lips against hers and kisses her gently but with meaning. Pulling away he looks at her. "You'll be overwhelmed, Brennan. I promise."

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**Yeah buddy. My favorite part of this is actually him calling her Brennan. I've wanted to do that for SO LONG now! Booyah! I'd love to know what you think.**


	6. Let's Go

**_Let's Go_**

Temperance Brennan ended her call with the head archeologist who would be on site with her in India. This dig would be uncovering and making history all at the same time. This would be one of the biggest things she was ever a part of. This would be one of the biggest discoveries of all time and she was wanted….needed actually. She had been in talks with these people for several weeks now and today it seemed as though everything was official.

"So everything's official?" Booth asked walking in behind her as she sat at her kitchen table still staring down at her phone.

"Well, there are a few minor details that still need to be worked out but it seems as though I'm going to India."

He nodded and moved around her to sit at the table with her. "That's great Bones. I'm really happy for you."

"This is very exciting." She admitted but he could tell that there was something holding her back from feeling completely happy about this.

"Dr. Haryana says that I should plan to be there for at least six months, minimum."

"Six months? Wow." Booth quickly wiped the shock from his face and sat up quickly leaning in closer to her grabbing her hand that was placed on top of the table.

"Do you think that it could really take that long?" He asked. She gave him a sad smile and her heart broke at his ignorance.

"Booth… things like this could take years. This dig is very well funded; I don't see this being a short trip. Some people who have been asked to come are selling their homes, paying off their rent and finding places in India to live…" She moved to stand up from the table and he let her hand go as she did. He turned into the table and placed both his elbows on the top of it and held his head in his hands. It's not like she didn't want to go. He _knew_ she wanted to go the very moment she mentioned the possibility of this happening. This was her passion, this was…_Bones. _There's no way he would ask her to stay for him, there's no way he would let her stay. She had mentioned something about quitting her job earlier in the week and he nearly choked on his drink when the words passed from her mouth. She had put up a good argument though telling him that it wouldn't technically be quitting, she'd be retiring and then she could just teach. But they both knew that wasn't going to happen at the end of the conversation. She needed to do this.

"Ok." He said after a few minutes of silence passed between them. "Alright. You're going to India. This is great and we're happy and things will be ok." He got up from the table and moved to where she was standing in the kitchen. He looked at her face and she refused to meet his eyes. She wasn't happy and she wasn't going to pretend to be. She would never pretend with him.

"I'm sorry Booth," she said somberly. "I feel like I'm deserting us. We've just started. It's only been ten months."

"Hey…_no… _Don't do that_."_ The deepness of his voice pierced her and she was forced to look at him at that point.

"Don't talk like that, ok? No one is deserting anyone here. That's not what this is." He explained his voice hard and precise.

"But that's not how I feel." She followed her voice giving way to her emotions.

"It doesn't matter; those are temporary feelings, Bones. You out of all people should know that. Look at what _does _matter. The facts, right? The fact is that I'm in love with you and I always will be. Time and distance will never change that. I promise."

"I know that Booth." She said impatiently. She stepped away from him and moved towards the kitchen table again picking up her phone she began tossing it back and forth in her hands.

"Bones please stop walking away from me." He said as he turned on his heel and followed her.

"I'm trying, Booth. And usually I can force myself to feel one thing, but I'm feeling so many different emotions…I just…. I can't force myself to feel one thing like you've been doing since I mentioned this to you."

He was hurting too. He just didn't want her to know to what extent.

"Look Bones… I understand, ok?"

His words the opposite of the face he was trying so hard not to give her. She hoped that he knew just how much she loved him. How much she was going to miss him. The pain that she felt in that very second frightened her when she realized that he was probably feeling the same exact discomfort and it frustrated her that he would have to feel that because of her. She never wanted Booth to hurt. Never.

"Booth I… I just want you to know that if… we're not married so you don't have to" she exhaled a shaky breath "you shouldn't feel obligated to not find happiness." She swallowed hard. "At some point." She finished.

His brows fell lower over his dark brown eyes. "Come 'ere." They both moved towards each other and she fell into him. She didn't put her arms around him; she just simply leaned up against him while he wrapped his arms around her. One hand around her waist and one hand came up to rest on the back of her head as he held her as tight as he could without hurting her. "We're going to be together again." He mumbled into her hair. After a moment of having her against him he wrapped his fingers around each of her arms and pulled her back from him so that he could look at her face.

"Do you really think I could be with anyone else, Bones?"

She tried to smile at him through the hurt currently taking up residence in her entire being.

"What if months turn into years, Booth?"

"And if two years turn into ten years for whatever reason we'll find a way."

She knew Booth would never stray from her, deep down. But that didn't make this any less hard. That didn't make her not want to curl up into a ball somewhere in a corner and cry and cry and cry. She didn't want to leave him, this. They just started. They had just gotten to where she has always wanted to be…now she had to go. She had to leave that and she was trying desperately to find a way to stay. She considered quitting her job, but Booth and rationality quickly helped her come to her senses about that. She couldn't just quit. Too many people depended on her and Booth and her as a team. She could never be that selfish.

She turned away from him and walked back to her bedroom where her suitcase was laying open on the bottom of her bed. Booth didn't follow her right away, but about forty minutes later when she was completely packed she saw him enter her bedroom with a heavy gait, his hands pushed into the pockets of his jeans.

"Hey baby." He said as he leant up against the wall.

She walked over to him feeling a little less overwhelmed compared to an hour ago. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't call me that."

He smiled.

"You're leaving soon I have to get them in as often as possible."

She laughed into his neck. "I suppose." She whispered.

It was at this point he moved his hands out of his pockets and up to grab her wrists that were crossed behind his neck.

"Hey." He said softly, brining her arms down from around him.

"Yes?"

"Come with me somewhere." The look on his face told her that he wasn't exactly asking.

"Of course."

"Grab your purse."

She looked at him curiously for a moment before moving to the spot in her room where she kept it. He stood there without moving watching her as she did what she was asked.

"You keep your social security card in your purse?"

"Of course not." She answered looking at him with complete and utter confusion. "I'm guessing you would like me to collect that as well?"

He nodded. She walked to the opposite side of her bed and opened the bottom drawer of her nightstand and dug around for a minute before retrieving the small card and putting it into the zipper part of her purse. She put her bag over her shoulder and walked back towards him. "Booth…" she said a little tiredly, wanting some kind of explanation at this point.

"Just…have some faith in me." He said as she returned to him and he caressed the side of her face moving her hair back from her cheek. "God I'm going to miss the hell out of you." She could see it in his eyes that he was starting to lose some control of his own emotions now and she knew that she would not be able to handle that. She knew that she would have to someday, probably next week, but not now. "Let's go." She said succeeding in interrupting the heaviness of the moment.

"Yeah," Booth agreed, clearing his throat. "Let's go."

He was quiet during the short drive and so was she, on the outside anyway. On the inside her stomach was turning, her heart racing and her thoughts nearly driving her mad. It was when they pulled up to the courthouse though that she had to actually keep herself from vomiting using a breathing technique her father taught her when she was a little girl. She was the smartest person she knew and she would have been severely disappointed in herself if she hadn't figured out what was going on at some point. Booth parked and waited a minute before speaking, before even looking at her.

"Bones, I know that-

"It's ok." She interrupted, her voice coming out louder than she intended. She turned in her seat to look at him. "It's ok." She reiterated in a calmer tone.

"This is ok?" He asked, still slightly unsure.

"This is ok." She said with confidence and a genuine smile, the first in several days.

He leaned over the center console and she met him there and their mouths came gently as first but they deepened the kiss and it turned into something desperate. He kissed her like he was praising her with his mouth and she accepted his show of gratitude and kissed him back without any falter showing him through her own actions that she wanted this, him, too.

She was the one to pull away first but she kept her hands planted on either side of his face as she said "Let's go."

Tonight she would go to bed as his wife for the first time and when she returned back to him back to her life that she loved that she waited so long to have she would still be his wife. Whenever that would be.


End file.
